Logos 101 | Logo designers are in high demand, and it’s for good reason — a logo is usually a company’s first impression, one that can affect a potential client’s perception, purchase decisions and overall attitude toward a brand. With the help of do-it-yourself logo design tools and affordable graphic design software, business owners can be a lot more involved throughout the design process. However, there are some crucial rules and tricks that all successful graphic designers learn through education and experience.

We live in a society painted with brand logos. Even toddlers who can’t yet tie their own shoelaces recognize majority of logos or are able to determine what services a business offers just by looking at its logo. More logo designs are out there than ever before, and with that comes the challenge of being different. How do you design something unique that stands out in a sea of identities?

Be Unique | Logos 101

This is one of those oft-said but rarely followed tips. How does a logo become a recognizable symbol of a brand’s identity? Simple! By being unique. A logo is what helps distinguish a brand from its competitors, so it’s crucial that the design stands out from the rest — something many brands struggle with. Your ultimate goal should be to end up with something that you believe is different from anything already out there. They do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in the real world it’s just a lazy way to solve a creative problem.

A Great Logo Works Both In Color And Black And White | Logos 101

When designing your logo, start simply. Begin by coming up with an initial draft in solid black. Then when you have the basic structure and feel, you can then move onto refining it and adding other details such as color. This will enable you to focus more on the message you’re trying to convey and the actual shape. That, in turn, helps ensure that your logo will look just as good in any color or when the color is removed. If your logo works in black and white, you can be confident that it’s a good design.

A Versatile Logo Is An Effective Logo | Logos 101

A good logo is flexible and usable on pretty much any medium. It should ideally work just as well on a small object such as a golf ball as it would on much larger objects and materials, from commercially printed posters upwards. For this reason, logos should be created in vector format, to ensure that they scale to any size without affecting the quality. Being versatile goes a long way in making a logo design popular. If your logo looks great on posters, but not as good on coffee mugs, you have a problem.

Find The Right Font | Logos 101

Typography is obviously central to a great logo. You have two main options to choose from: creating your own custom typeface or adapting an existing one. Removing, extending or joining parts of letters may be enough to make your design unique. It’s incredible how little you need to see of some letters for you to still be able to recognize them. Some logos even become recognizable because of their custom fonts. Coca-Cola originated the slanted font and now countless designers try to rip them off. However, keep in mind that it’s not just about looking pretty: matching the qualities of the font to the qualities of the brand is what your goal should be here.

Don’t Overdo It | Logos 101

Try to use these principles to add value to your logo, but as always, don’t add shapes and pictorial elements in negative space just because you can! Creating a simple design will not only help you to make it look elegant but it will also help you to engage your target audience. It’s crucial to have a balanced combination of simple and quirky — you want your logo to grab the attention, but you don’t want someone to have to sit and stare, analyzing the logo.

Know Your Colors | Logos 101

You can attract attention, change modes, and even make statements using colors. If you learn how to use colors when designing a logo properly, you will have far more control over the effect of your logo. Every color has a different meaning and can bring nuance to your message — don’t fall into the trap of communicating the wrong message because of a rash decision. Finally, stick to one or two colors and make sure you never use more than three colors. A logo that uses too many colors can feel cluttered and overwhelming.

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I had been following Media Novak’s work for a while now and was always impressed with their logo work. The logo designs they came up with based on my wishes for what I wanted it to look like were above and beyond what I had imagined. The process itself was smooth and so easy. I gave input and they took it on board and applied it to the next design. I would highly recommend them any day!

Chantal Lachance-Gibson Photography

I cannot begin to say enough about Mark & the team at Media Novak. Their customer service has been TOP NOTCH! They have gone way beyond my expectations and dreams and have put together a website for me that I am so proud of… I actually can’t believe that it’s mine! If you are looking for a new website or new branding then look no further… contact these guys today!

Myrick Cowart – Photographer

Thank you thank you thank you! I really appreciate all of your help and your quick replies and editing, and well, everything. I will DEFINITELY be referring your team! I love my new logo and I love that it is completely my own and completely encompasses my brand. I really appreciate all of the time and effort your team has put into this project. Thank you again and again!

Bethany Petersen – Photographer

I decided to hire Media Novak after seeing a friends logo that I really liked. I sent them my ideas but I actually preferred one of their original concepts over my own ideas! They really understood the look and feel I was trying to achieve and I am delighted with my new logo! I found the process to be really enjoyable and smooth and emails were answered very quickly… a big thumbs up from me!

Karen McGowran – Photographer

Media Novak were helpful and listened to me as the client… never once tried to push their likes onto me… but they do offer good advice. I think what has mattered most to me was once we went live, they were very much still around to iron out little problems that only became noticeable to myself with the daily running of a website and a blog! I would highly recommend them to other businesses!

Jo-Ann Stokes – Photographer

Media Novak designed a beautiful website for me and I’m very satisfied with it. They listened to what I wanted and tailored the site to fit me and I really appreciate that. Their prices are reasonable and the quality is fantastic. I would highly recommend this company.

About Us

MediaNovak is a creative design agency that specializes in web design, online marketing, graphic design and corporate identity solutions. We started our company with some basic ideals—offer our customers exceptional design, while delivering a positive customer experience.

These ideals have helped grow our business and drive customers to our door. A majority of our business comes simply from “word of mouth” referrals—one customer telling another of the experience that we offer here. We consider this the ultimate compliment.